Dilemma
by JupiterHalo
Summary: After a chance meeting, Sayuki sets Mako and Ryousuke up on a date. However, Mako still has feelings for Iketani. Will she move on, or will she try to fix things with Iketani? Takes place right after 4th Stage ends!
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: Hello, everyone! My name is JupiterHalo, and thank you so much for at least clicking on my story! This one is hopefully going to be a bit better than my last "Initial D" fanfic. This one is going to be a multi-chapter fic, but it won't be more than five chapters. And this is also going to be a Mako x Iketani fic, with some hints of Mako x Ryousuke and Sayuki x Keisuke. So please read and review if you can! Comments are always appreciated. Oh, this story takes place right after 4th Stage and Project D has ended, so it's basically in the summer/fall.

Disclaimer: I don't own "Initial D." Shuichi Shigeno has the rights to everything; I'm just borrowing the characters for a while. :D

---

With a sigh, Mako Satou glanced at her watch. "It's already one-thirty… Sayuki's so late! She said she'd meet me here at one."

Yesterday, Sayuki had coerced Mako into meeting her for lunch at one of their favorite cafes, "Heartbeat." Now here Mako was, waiting for an always-running-late Sayuki. A waiter walked over to her table and looked at her, concerned. "Is everything all right, Miss?"

Mako nodded. "I'm sorry; my friend's just running a little late. I guess I'll just get something to drink for now. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to have a pear tea."

The waiter smiled and nodded, saying "I'll be back with that right away."

After her drink was brought, Mako just stirred it. Another fifteen minutes passed, before she finally spotted Sayuki walking into the café. Sayuki gave a little wave and walked over. "Guess what?" she said, plopping down into her chair.

Mako stopped stirring her drink. "Nice to see you too, Sayuki. What happened?"

Sayuki smiled. "Guess."

Mako smiled back. "Your boyfriend of the moment surprised you with a weekend trip to Kyoto?"

"Nope."

"He gave you a new car?"

Sayuki smiled wider. "Nope."

Mako put her hand on her cheek and leaned on her elbow, staring down into her tea. "He proposed and you accepted?"

Sayuki's smile disappeared immediately. "God, no! As if I would _ever_ get married! I love men _way_ too much. And anyway, this isn't about my current boy-toy." She flipped her hair back and started smiling flirtatiously at the waiter who had come back to take her order. "I'll have a pear juice and a salad with Italian dressing on the side… to start." After the waiter blushed and rain off, she turned to Mako, who was shaking her head affectionately. "So, since you're probably not going to guess this, I'll just go ahead and tell you."

Mako laughed. "Honestly, Sayuki."

Sayuki leaned closer. "A very reliable source told me that Takahashi Ryousuke quit racing!"

Mako gasped. "No way! Why would he do such a thing?"

Sayuki shrugged, then winked at the waiter, who had finally brought her order. "Thank you very much," she purred. After the waiter blushed and ran off again, she turned back to Mako.

"Who told you this, anyway?" Mako questioned.

Sayuki smiled again. "Takahashi Keisuke!"

Mako gasped again, as Sayuki took a bite of her salad. "Takahashi Keisuke? You actually know him?"

Sayuki laughed a little. "Sort of. Last week I was in Akagi checking out that new clothing store, "Deja Moon." After I left the store and was walking down the street, lo and behold! There stood Takahashi Keisuke surrounded by a gaggle of his fangirls. He obviously was looking uncomfortable, so I walked right up, did my usual thing, and voila!"

Mako frowned thoughtfully. "You scared his fangirls away? How did you do that?"

"By pretending to be his girlfriend, of course!" Sayuki grinned cheekily. "I just used my wits, charm and stunning good looks to scare those pesky girls into submission." After she took another bite of her salad, she continued. "Takahashi Keisuke was so grateful, he offered to take me out to lunch. You know how I can't resist food when it's offered to me; especially free food! And when he learned that I was part of "Impact Blue," we really started to click. The conversation eventually turned to his brother, and he told me that Takahashi Ryousuke quit racing because he became a doctor. In fact, " Sayuki whispered evilly, "he is now seeing patients."

Mako leaned back in shock. "I can't believe that he would quit. I can't imagine him as anything but a racer."

Sayuki nodded in agreement. "I know; I was really shocked when I heard the news as well. But I decided that I was coming down with a sickness, and just _had_ to see Dr. Takahashi right away." She sighed. "Unfortunately, the earliest time I could see him was this morning."

Mako smiled. "So, that's why you were late."

"Yes! He's actually a really great doctor. The man is just too good to be true." She winked at Mako. "If he's that talented at being a doctor, I wonder if he'd be the same way at everything? Especially playing _real_ doctor…"

Mako blushed and laughed. "Sayuki, is that all you ever think about?"

Sayuki laughed. "Well, he is a handsome guy! But anyway, he said that my name sounded familiar. I told him it was probably because he had heard my name associated with "Impact Blue." He started asking questions about Usui. Apparently, he's been there, but he hasn't raced on the course. Unfortunately, we had to cut our time short, but he wants to take me out to eat tomorrow during his lunch so we can talk some more. And that brings me to my proposal."

Mako blinked. "Proposal?"

Sayuki nodded. "Unfortunately, I'm busy tomorrow."

"Then why did you accept his offer?"

"Because," Sayuki grinned, "you're going to go in my place."

---

So, what did everyone think of it? I'd really like to hear your comments about it! If you can't review, you can always e-mail me! My address is in my profile.Again, thank you very much for reading!

-JupiterHalo


	2. Chapter 2

Hi again! It's me, JupiterHalo, back with the second chapter! I never thought that I'd get it out this fast, but I ended up writing this in about two to three days. And thank you for reading this and for the kind reviews everyone left! I'm so glad that people are enjoying the story so far. So, please enjoy chapter two!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Initial D," unfortunately. Shuichi Shigeno has all rights to the characters; I'm just borrowing them for a little while. :D

_Thoughts are in italics._ Scene changes are indicated by a >>>.

---

After a long silence, Sayuki finally said "Well, the least you can do is thank me!"

Mako just gaped at her, continuing to sit in shock.

"After all, now you can finally tell Takahashi Ryousuke how you feel about him!"

"Are you insane?" Mako finally found her voice. "Sayuki, how could you do something like that?"

"What?" Sayuki looked offended. "All I'm trying to do is try to end your years of loneliness! Look," she said, closing her right hand into a fist. "Ryousuke Takahashi is a great guy." She began counting off on her fingers as she spoke. "He's handsome, he's rich, he's really nice, he's very serious-minded, and he's an awesome racer. What more could you ask for in a guy?"

"Well, I don't know if he's kind, or gentle, or if he makes me feel happy. And he's not-" Mako's voice trailed off, her cheeks turning red.

"Not that one guy you were interested in? What was his name, Iketani or something?" At Mako's nod, Sayuki sighed. "Just give it up, Mako. You haven't seen him in over a year; it's obvious that he's never going to call. You can't waste your life waiting for him to get his act together. I know how much you care for him, but you can't be in a one-sided relationship forever!" She shook her head at Mako, finishing off the last of her salad. "Mako, you're more than just my best friend; you're like my sister. I don't want to see you throw your life away on something that will only cause you pain."

"Thanks, Sayuki." Mako took a breath. "You're right. I do need to move on from this. What time is lunch tomorrow?"

"Takahashi-san said 3 p.m."

"I'll be there."

>>>

Mako patted her hair nervously as she took one last glance at herself in a store window before walking in to the tiny diner across the street from the hospital where Ryousuke was interning at. Taking on last glance at her watch, which read 3 o'clock on the dot, Mako took one last nervous breath and walked in.

She spotted Ryousuke almost immediately, sitting at the counter sipping a cup of coffee. _Impeccably dressed, as always, _Mako noted. Today he wore black pants with a light blue shirt, along with a black tie. His doctor's coat had been placed behind his chair. She saw him glance at his watch, and decided that stalling for time probably wasn't such a good idea. After all, putting something off only made a person regret it. She walked up to him, and cleared her throat. "Takahashi-san?"

He turned around in his chair, holding his cup of coffee in his left hand. "Yes, that's me," he said in that deep voice of his. "How can I help you?"

Mako bowed. "My name is Satou Mako, and I'm a friend of the person you were supposed to meet for lunch today. I'm terribly sorry, but she couldn't make it."

Ryousuke nodded. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that." He turned his piercing gaze to Mako, who blushed slightly. "Well, since you had to come all the way here, why don't you sit down? I'd be more than happy to buy you lunch." To her surprise, he stood up and pulled out the chair next to him, gesturing that she should sit.

When she had been seated, Mako murmured a soft "Thank you." She had no idea Ryousuke had such old-fashioned manners!

Ryousuke motioned to the waitress working behind the counter. "I believe my friend and I are ready to order. I'll have a bowl of chicken ramen and another cup of coffee." He turned to Mako and smiled tiredly. "Go ahead and order whatever you like. It's my treat."

She nodded. "If it's not too much trouble, could I get a glass of water and a salad, with Italian dressing?"

"Of course!" The waitress scurried off to fill their order.

Ryousuke gave Mako a puzzled look. "Are you sure that's all you'd like, Satou-san? You aren't one of those girls who starves herself, are you?"

Mako blushed. "Oh, no, Takahashi-san! It's just that," her voice lowered to a whisper, "I feel terrible for you paying for me, so I just wanted to get the cheapest thing on the menu."

Ryousuke's puzzled frown turned into a smile. "Ah, I understand. Please don't concern yourself over the cost; it's no trouble." At that moment, their orders were delivered.

As Mako stabbed her salad with her fork, Ryousuke took a sip of his fresh coffee. _Black,_ Mako noted. _He doesn't put anything in his coffee._ She also took the opportunity to study his profile. _Clear skin, beautiful eyes, gorgeous hair. Now I remember one of the reasons why I liked him for so long._

Ryousuke turned and noticed her glancing at him. "Is something the matter, Satou-san?" He asked this question gently, noting how she looked away quickly.

"Um, no! Nothing's wrong." Still looking away, she said "Um… Sayuki said that you had some questions about Usui?"

"Ah, yes! I was wondering…"

>>>

With a sigh, Ryousuke looked at his watch. "Unfortunately, Satou-san, it looks like my time is up." Just then, his beeper went off as well.

Mako laughed. "It seems like everyone needs you, Takahashi-san."

Ryousuke smiled apologetically as he laid some bills down on the counter. He stood up and put on his coat, then gently pulled out Mako's chair. As they walked to the door together, he turned and said, "Satou-san, I've never had better lunch company. Honestly."

Mako blushed and giggled. "Honestly, Takahashi-san, you're quite the charmer."

Ryousuke smiled back, holding the door open for her. Once they were out on the streets, he said "Satou-san, forgive me if this is forward of me. However, I really enjoyed our conversation, and I hope you did so as well." Mako nodded, and he sighed in relief. "In that case, would you like to meet me for lunch again? Same time and day, next week?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Should she take this chance? _Courage_, her mind whispered.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled brightly at him. "I'd love to."

---

So, that's chapter two! I hope that everyone likes how the story is progressing so far. So, hopefully I'll have the third chapter up soon! It should be up by this Wednesday; at least that's the plan. So please review if you can, as I always appreciate it. See you all next time!

-JupiterHalo


	3. Chapter 3

Hi again! It's me, JupiterHalo, back with the third chapter of "Dilemma!" With the way I'm writing this, it shouldn't take more than a week to finish it! But we'll see when the next chapter comes out, ne? Please enjoy this one! I think Ryousuke acts kind of OOC in the chapter; I apologize for that! However, I think that being/training to be a doctor is very stressful, and can take a lot out of a person. I'd imagine that he'd need to talk to someone about the problems he faces. So I don't think he's REALLY OOC, but just in case, you've been warned! Please read and review if you can; I love getting feedback. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Initial D," unfortunately. All of these characters belong to Shuichi Shigeno.

_Thoughts are indicated by italics._

---

Skidding to a halt in front of the diner, Mako checked the time. "Oh, no! Late again!" With a sigh, she opened the door. Waving to Minako, the waitress behind the counter, she plopped down into the now-familiar seat next to Ryousuke.

He gave her a quick glance as she started removing her coat. "Did something happen, Mako-chan?"

She shook her head. "No, not at all! Traffic was just slower than expected." After giving their orders to Minako, she leaned her head on her hand. "I guess it'll start snowing soon."

Ryousuke smiled as he sipped his usual cup of coffee. "Well, it is almost December."

She noticed his hand was trembling slightly as he held his cup. "Ryousuke-san? Is everything all right?" A shadow came into his eyes, and lines formed around his mouth. _Stress lines…_ Mako thought.

"No, Mako-chan. Everything's not all right." He ran a hand through his hair. "I've been up for the past 36 hours, assisting in the care of a patient."

Mako glanced around; the diner was empty except for them and Minako. "Ryousuke-san, if you'd rather not talk about it, that's fine. But I do think I'm a pretty good listener." She smiled gently at him. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

Ryousuke took a long sip of coffee, closing his eyes. As he put the cup down, he started speaking so quietly Mako had to lean close to hear him. "The patient I was caring for… was a six-year old child who was the victim of a hit-and-run accident. The driver was talking on his cell phone and didn't notice that a child had run out into the middle of the road chasing a baseball. The driver swerved to avoid hitting him… but it was too late. The boy's friend saw the driver take one look at him, the back up and speed away from there. By the time an ambulance reached him, he had already suffered from severe trauma and blood loss." He took a breath while Mako laid a hand on his arm, trying to comfort him. "That was 30 hours ago. I assisted in his surgery, but he lapsed into a coma soon after. I had to tell his parents that there was a less than a one percent chance of their son ever waking up again. I couldn't sleep after my shift was over; I went back to the hospital and stayed by the kid's bed, holding his hand. A few hours ago, his parents decide to take him off of life support and have his organs donated after his death." Ryousuke buried his face in his hands. "Why does losing a patient have to be so tough; why does it hurt so much?"

Mako's heart ached for him. Moving over, she wrapped her arms around him, holding tightly to him, "It's all right; it's okay. I know that it's tough, losing someone like that." She stroked his hair gently, murmuring words of comfort. "You care a lot about people; that's why you're going to make such a great doctor."

Both of them sat that way for a while, both leaning on each other for support. Finally, Ryousuke pulled away and smoothed back his hair. "Forgive me, Mako-chan. I must apologize for my behavior. I didn't mean to tell you all of my problems with work."

They sat in silence for a long while, eating quietly. Finally, Mako looked over at him. "Ryousuke-san, I don't mind at all if you talk to me. We've known each other for what, four or five months now?" I believe that we're friends! So, as a friend, I will always be here to listen to you."

Ryousuke smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Mako-chan. I appreciate your kindness." As they got up to walk to the door after finishing their meal, he turned to her. "Mako, I have something to say to you." She turned and looked at him, puzzled. "You're smart, beautiful, kind and courageous. Any man I know would be more than honored to know you. In the time we've known each other, I feel a lot closer to you than I do with most people. And so, I'd like to know something. Would you like to go out on a date sometime?" He gave her a crooked smile. "I may not look like a chef, but I make a mean spaghetti sauce. So, would you let me cook you dinner sometime?"

Mako looked at him. Silently, she counted each time her heart beat. Softly, she said "Ryousuke-san, I am honored that you would think of me in such a way. You must have known that I had a crush on you for a very long time. However, there is someone I also care very much for. That is, until he dumped me." She looked at him. "He never even gave me an explanation why. I've tried to move on, but I've found that I can't. So, before I accept your invitation, I have to find out why he did what he did."

Ryousuke nodded. "I understand completely. It's hard not knowing why someone hurt you." He fished around in his pocket, pulling out a scrap of paper and a pen. After writing something on the paper, he handed it to her. "Here's my cell phone number. Call me any time you need me."

After they parted, Mako walked over to her Sil-Eighty. "I can't go on without knowing the truth," she whispered. Starting the car, she headed to the one place where she could find answers: Akina.

---

Yay! Third chapter is finished! Next up is Iketani and Mako's confrontation! Please look forward to it! And as always, review if you can! Be safe, everyone, and I'll see you when the next chapter is finished! If you ever need me, please feel free to e-mail me; my address is in my profile.

-JupiterHalo


	4. Chapter 4

Hi, everyone! JupiterHalo here, back with the fourth chapter! I hope everyone is doing well. I'm sorry for the delay in updates; I've been working five out of the last seven days. Don't ever do that; it can bring you to exhaustion. But anyway, I finally get a break from work, so I can finally update. Please review if you can, since I always love getting feedback. And if you ever need me, my e-mail address is in my profile. Okay, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own "Initial D." Please don't sue me; you won't get much!

_Thoughts are in italics._

Scene changes are indicated by >>>

---

Iketani sighed as he watched Itsuki dance around the gas station. "Itsuki!" he called out. "If you're cold, go put on a jacket!"

"I think you should listen to him, Itsuki." Kenji stood next to his best friend and watched Itsuki run inside to get a jacket.

Iketani and Kenji sighed in unison, facing the office of the gas station, their backs to the street. "He can be really pathetic sometimes," Iketani grumbled.

"Well, it's not like you're any better." Kenji poked him in the side good-naturedly. "Hey, what are you doing after work?"

"What I always do, Kenji! I mean, it's not like I have a girl to go out with or anything like that." His shoulders slumped.

"Hey, why don't we go driving on Akina after you finish work, then? If we're ever going to get even close to Takumi in skill, then we need to get a lot of practice!"

As Kenji was saying this, Itsuki ran out with a jacket covering his frame. However, when he got outside, he stopped dead in his tracks. Trying to form words, all he could do was point to something behind Iketani and Kenji.

Both sighed again. "Itsuki, if you have something to say, just say it!" However, he just continued pointing. Iketani rolled his eyes and said, "If this is one of your pranks, I'm going to kill you." He turned around, and his jaw dropped. "Ma… Mako-chan?"

She stood on the sidewalk just outside the gas station. "Good afternoon, Iketani-san." She bowed formally, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Mako-chan…" Iketani stared in shock at her. "Is- is it really you?"

She nodded. "Yes… Iketani-san, is there somewhere we can go to talk? I can wait for you somewhere until you're finished with work." She looked at him. "Please, Iketani-san."

Iketani gulped. "Hold on one second, Mako!" Running inside, he began changing.

Yuichi looked at him in puzzlement as he ran into the locker room, clothes in hand.  
"Iketani? Are you all right?"

Iketani came out a few seconds later, still tying his blue tennis shoes. "Boss! I need to leave early for personal reasons!"

Yuichi just stared at him as he ran past, and sighed. _Kids these days._

Iketani ran over to his S-13, started it, and stopped it next to Mako. "Get in," he said. With a grateful nod, she opened the passenger door and fastened her seatbelt after getting into the car. With a squeal of his tires, they were off.

Yuichi walked outside and stood next to Kenji and Itsuki. "He said he needed to leave early for personal reasons."

Kenji laughed. "Borrowing a few lines from you, eh, Itsuki?"

>>>

Mako and Iketani drove in silence for a few minutes. Finally, she asked "Where are we going?"

Iketani jumped at the sound of her voice. "Uh… I thought that you wanted to talk, so I'm taking us to a good place where we can get something to eat and still be able to talk privately."

Mako said nothing to that, so another few minutes of the drive was spent in silence. Finally, Iketani glanced over at her and asked "So, Mako… um, how were you able to find me, exactly?"

"I remember you talking about working at the GS gas station. I asked around, and found that there was only one in Akina. From there, all it took was a simple request for directions."

"Oh, fair enough." Nothing more was said until Iketani pulled into the parking lot of Family's. Both of them walked inside and sat down in more silence. A waitress came over and cheerfully asked for their order. "Uh, I'll have a cup of coffee with both cream and sugar," Iketani said as he turned to Mako. "Go ahead and order whatever you like."

"I believe that I'll have a hot chocolate, please. And could you also put milk and whipped cream in it?"

After the waitress skipped away, the silence that had disappeared somewhat returned with full force. Mako sat with her hands in her lap, while Iketani toyed nervously with some of the sugar packets on the table. Finally, he blurted out "Mako-chan, I… I've wanted to see you for a long time."

"Have you?"

"Yes!" He smiled at her. "Every day, no matter where I was, no matter what I was doing, I always thought about you."

"Did you?"

"Yes." He became more serious now. "Mako-chan, that night…"

"Iketani-san." She finally looked at him. "Please, just stop. The only reason I wanted to come see you today was not to hear your excuses, or your apologies. All I want to know is one thing." She closed her eyes. "When we met, I was so happy. We talked about cars; it made me feel so elated, and the time we spent together seemed to just fly by. For the first time in my life, I felt truly at ease, knowing that there was a kind and gentle man I could care for, and that he cared for me as well. But when you never met me, or even called me, I was so hurt."

When she opened her eyes again, Iketani could see that her eyes had filled with tears. "Mako-chan…"

"Why, Iketani-san? Why did you have to lead me on like that? Was it all just a game to you? Did you enjoy hurting me and toying with my feelings?"

Iketani clenched his fists. "Mako-chan, it wasn't like that! I swear to you; I never wanted it to turn out like this. I admit that I was selfish, scared and insecure. That day at the pool, I saw the picture of Takahashi Ryousuke in your wallet, and even though you told me there was nothing going on, I thought that I couldn't compare to him! That night, I did try to go and meet you, but there was a traffic jam. I wasn't able to get there in time, and I will regret it for the rest of my life. Believe me, the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. Please," he begged. "Can't we just start over?"

Slowly, Mako shook her head. "I wish we could, Iketani-san. But no matter how much we wish it, there's no changing the past." She sighed, finishing off her hot chocolate that had been brought to her a few minutes before. "I'm sorry that I made you doubt yourself. You had to reason to be paranoid, and be jealous of Takahashi Ryousuke. If I had wanted a man like Takahashi Ryousuke, I would have found one." She smiled sadly at him. "However, the only man I wanted was you." She stood up. "I think we should end this now, Iketani. We should end this before we cause each other any more pain. Please, just take me back to the gas station."

>>>

The ride back was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Mako was deep in thought as she stared out the window, while Iketani gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

As soon as he had pulled back into the gas station and had parked safely, she jumped out of the car. "Goodbye, Iketani-san."

He jumped out of the car after her. "Mako-chan… please wait." He reached for her, but she evaded his grasp, turning to give him one last look.

He looked so forlorn, standing there by himself. Sighing, she walked towards her Sil-Eighty, which had been parked a few blocks down the street. However, she spotted a public telephone. This gave her an idea. Pulling out a piece of paper, she went into the booth and dialed the number on the paper. "Hello, Ryousuke? This is Satou Mako… yes, I'm doing fine. I was wondering… is your invitation to dinner still open? Because if it is, I'm accepting."

---

Awww, poor Iketani! I felt so badly for him while I was writing this. The guy gets no love. No love at all. Well, next up, we have the (maybe) touching conclusion! Will Mako go with Ryousuke? Or will she try it again with Iketani? Or will she not pick either of them? Well, I guess you'll have to find out next time. You know where to find me if you need me. Take care, everyone, and be safe!

-JupiterHalo


	5. Chapter 5

Hi, everyone! This is JupiterHalo, back with the final chapter! I'm so sorry that this update took so long; I'm taking summer school classes at the moment, and I really want to do well in them. I've been focusing on them for the majority of the month, and haven't really had time to do any writing. Please forgive me, and enjoy chapter five! Also, please review if you can!

Disclaimer: I don't own "Initial D." I'm just borrowing these characters for a fun little story.

"Words in-between quotes indicate spoken dialogue."  
_Words in italics indicate thoughts._  
>>> indicate scene changes!

>>>

"Let me show you around." Ryousuke opened up the front door for Mako and took her coat.

Mako gaped. "Wow, I never thought that a person could live in such an enormous space! If this is considered a house, I'm living in a shanty."

Ryousuke laughed. "Well, I guess that when your parents own a hospital, you get a few perks." He smiled as Keisuke tromped down the stairs, gnawing on a sandwich. "Ah, Keisuke! I'd like to introduce you to someone."

Keisuke glanced at Mako. "Ih ihs uhusual to shee yuh wih a guh."

Ryousuke rolled his eyes. "Would you care to say that when you don't have food in your mouth?"

Keisuke spit some sandwich bits at him before swallowing. "I said, it's unusual to see you with a girl, Aniki."

"This is Satou Mako, the driver for the Usui team 'Impact Blue.' Mako-chan, I'd like you to meet my brother, Keisuke."

Mako bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Keisuke-san." She smiled at him. "Ryousuke-san has spoken of you often."

Keisuke scratched his head in embarrassment. "'Impact Blue,' huh? How is Sayuki-chan doing?" He asked with a slight blush.

Mako giggled. "She's doing well."

Ryousuke started walking, and motioned for Mako to follow him. "You're standing in the hall right now." He walked down a hallway, gesturing at rooms as he spoke. "Over here is the living room, and here's the dining room." The hallway eventually led them into the kitchen. "Keisuke," he called. "Are Mother and Father going to be home?"

"No!" came the muffled reply. "They're held up at the hospital."

Ryousuke sighed. "As usual." He looked at Mako, and then smiled. "Well, shall we get started?"

>>>

Mako sat across from Ryousuke, who sat next to Keisuke. In just a few short hours, Ryousuke and Mako had made a feast. Working together, they had been able to make enough pasta, meat sauce, bread and salad to feed them for a week. Mako had looked questioningly at Ryousuke as to why they were making so much food. He had shrugged and simply replied "Leftovers for my dinners this week."

Now the three of them sat around talking and laughing. Mako constantly giggled at the stories Ryousuke and Keisuke told her about each other.

After dinner, they retired to the living room with a cake Ryousuke had helpfully "persuaded" Keisuke to go out and buy while he and Mako had made dinner. There was also coffee for Ryousuke and Keisuke, and hot chocolate for Mako. While making small talk and eating the cake in comfortable silence, Mako told Keisuke about Sayuki. She and the Takahashi brothers talked about racing for a while, comparing Akagi with Usui. She also begged them to tell her about their races as members of Project D.

After chatting for a while, Keisuke scarfed down his third slice of cake and jumped up, fishing his keys out of his pocket. "I'm going to go take a few practice runs on Akagi. I probably won't be home until tomorrow morning, so I'll see you after you get back from work, Aniki."

After Keisuke had left, Ryousuke and Mako sat in comfortable silence, sipping their drinks and making small talk. After they had finished, both took all of the plates and utensils to the kitchen. Mako surprised Ryousuke by putting the dishes in the sink, adding water and soap, and began washing them. "Are you sure you don't want me to wash those for you, Mako-chan?"

"No, I'm fine, Ryousuke-san." She smiled at him. "I've always liked washing dishes- I love the feel of the water on my skin." Ryousuke smiled back and grabbed a dishtowel, intent on drying the dishes Mako had washed.

They stood in silence for a while, until Ryousuke turned to her and "Mako-chan, I hope you've had fun. Would you be interested in coming to dinner again… as my girlfriend?"

Mako stopped. This is what she had been waiting for, right? Then why… why couldn't she say yes? She took a deep breath. "Ryousuke-san, I think we need to talk about this." Pulling her hands out of the water and drying them, she took Ryousuke's hand and led him back out to the living room. She sat down on the couch, and he sat in the chair across from her.

"Mako-"

"Ryousuke-"

They both laughed. "You go first," Mako said, her eyes turning serious.

'Mako-chan, I've never felt this way about anyone else. I feel a real connection to you, and I feel happy just seeing you. I would do anything to see you happy." He leaned forward and took her hand gently, holding it in both of his. "I hope that you can find that happiness with me."

Mako said nothing for a long while, looking at her and Ryousuke's hands intertwined. Finally, she looked up at his face. "Ryousuke-san, I am truly flattered that you think of me as such an important person. Your friendship is something I cherish, and I will always love and care about you. However, that love is never going to be anything more than just friendly love."

Ryousuke's face fell. "I see." He cleared his throat and squeezed her hand gently. "Is there someone else?"

Mako slowly nodded. "About a year and a half ago, I met someone. He became very important to me, but through a series of misunderstandings, we lost touch. However, I have never stopped caring for him."

"Do you love him?" The question was soft.

"I honestly don't know how I feel about him, truly." Mako gave a little laugh. "Unfortunately, I didn't see him enough to know. I do know that I want to explore how I feel. Yesterday I went to see him and told him that it would be better if I forgot about him. But seeing him again made me feel how I always felt around him: calm and happy. Seeing him again made me realize that I don't want to forget about him." Mako's eyes filled with tears as she looked at him again. "I'm so sorry, Ryousuke-san. I never wanted to hurt you; I truly wish that I could return your feelings."

Ryousuke said nothing for a long while, turning his head down. Finally, he looked at her and smiled. "I understand, Mako-chan. I won't force your feelings; a true friend doesn't do that."

Mako sighed in relief. "Thank you, Ryousuke-san, for understanding."

He pulled her up gently and walked her to the door. "I think it's time you go tell your special person how you feel about them. I'll be here if you need me, though." He smiled at her again. "I'll see you next week for lunch, at our usual time?"

She nodded and smiled back gratefully. She stepped out the door and walked to her Sil-Eighty. _This time, I'm going to make it right._

>>>

Mako parked the Sil-Eighty outside of her house and shut and locked the doors. She walked up the driveway to the pathway leading to her front door, but stopped in surprise. On one of the steps leading to the front door was a bouquet of lilies.

She blinked and picked the flowers up, opening the note that had come with them. All it said was "For Mako."

"I hope you like lilies." A voice came out of the shadows, followed by a man. Mako gasped as she recognized Iketani stepping towards her, smiling.

"Iketani?" She stared in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Mako-chan." His voice turned serious. "You said that we could never start over, but I'm going to prove you wrong. We have the rest of our lives to make up for the past year and a half. I hope you can accept this, because I'm not going to take anything less from you."

After a few moments, Mako smiled. "I'm glad to hear it, Iketani-san." She stepped forward moved to her tiptoes, kissing him on the cheek. He blushed furiously as she said, "Thank you for the flowers, Iketani-san."

He laughed, scratching the back of his head with his hand. "I'm glad that you like them! I got Kenji, Takumi and Itsuki to help me pick some flowers out for you, and we all agreed that they smelled the best."

Mako smiled at that. "Would you like to come in for some tea, Iketani-san? You've come such a long way; I would feel terrible if I couldn't get you to stay and chat for a little while, at least."

He grinned back. "I can't say no to a beautiful lady, now can I?" They turned and walked up the steps together, their hands brushing against each other's.

"How did you find my house, anyway?" Mako asked.

"Well, that's a long story…"

>>>

It's finally done! Sorry that this update took so long; again, life got in the way. Please review if you can! I hope everyone reading this enjoyed the story immensely. As always, my e-mail is in my profile if you need me for anything! Thanks again!

-JupiterHalo


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